Fuel scarcity: I’m down on bended knees

By Joseph Edgar . . .

This is a write up portraying my seeming helplessness and submission to the vagaries or whatever it is that is causing this situation.

After spending more than five hours yesterday on the queue refusing to bribe anyone to skip the long queue thereby not getting the commodity I have nothing but to go down on bended knees to beg the powers that be to do whatever they can to ameliorate this situation.

As I stand on my balcony, looking at my car empty and useless to me, my children going to school in Keke Marwa and the darkness that seems to be our constant companion due to the inability to power the generator and power being also a traveling guest, I stand frustrated thinking of my life.

This was the same situation, when ‘Andrew decided to check out’. He was tired of the hardship, joblessness and hopelessness that was not only his lot in Nigeria but that of millions. This was in 1983. Today the situation is the same, if not worse. Today we have a generation that was brought up during the seeming booming years of the OBJ/ Jonathan administration.

These generations have tasted affluence, the internet has brought wealth and good living into their rooms. They roam the many shopping malls, travel for vacation, go to the best schools, wear choice clothes and generally live the life. They, unlike their predecessors in the 80s who did not have access to the good things of life are not prepared for this level of hardship.

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They will not take it and when pushed to the wall will react in such a way that the Boko Haram insurgency would be child’s play. For them, it’s not the strikes and riots of the Babangida years. Where all government had to do was use tear gas and shut down schools, this time the war will be in cyber space. Already the CBN has just been scammed of $195,000. These are the youths getting back and refusing to be docile.

We are just tired. My frustration is showing in this write up with the cluelessness I’m writing. Everything in this administration is war. War against corruption, war against saboteurs, but there seems to be no results. Nothing to show for all these wars.

Can’t write anymore for I have to go in search of water to take my bath for I have to go to work as I consider myself lucky in these times when over 40% of the work force are out of work.

Kai.

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